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Expedition to Undershore
Sunrise in Paradise The morning light streams across the horizon, banishing the cloistered clouds in a splash of gold. The rippling waters to the east seem to dance in joy at her arrival, as her warm rays penetrate the clear waters of Mizu no Kuni. The sun, the source of all life in the world, begins her cycle of transmigration once again across the blue skies and white clouds of the Ninja World. Blissfully sleeping beneath this magnificent display of nature, ignorant of anything but the dream of sweets she's envisioning, lies Himiko. Occasionally, a crosswind tousles her hair, and she stirs in the warm sand. A crab, irritated by the intruder lying atop his home, pinches her left foot with his sharp claw. With a startled yell, Himiko leans up suddenly, banging her head on a low branch of the tree standing above her. She winces twice and holds her head between her hands, once for the injury, and once for the overwhelming pain of the migraine overtaking her. A plethora of empty sake bottles lie randomly in the sand around her. "That's it. I'm swearing off juice for good. I don't care how good it tastes." Himiko mumbles, rubbing her temple wearily. Stumbling to her feet, narrowly ducking another branch, she rummages dejectedly through her empty food sack before yawning and stretching. Her eyes glance up behind her, to the small fishing village she'd arrived at the following evening. After she'd rescued one of their fishermen from drowning, they had offered Himiko as much sake and food as she could eat... their mistake. Her stomach already grumbling threateningly, Himiko sets off to the fishing village in search of breakfast. Ichiro pulled the bamboo hat more firmly over his head, hiding his eyes and making sure that passerby didn't see his features. Sometimes his reputation preceded his desires and he ended up on the run, much to his growing irritation. But, that's what you get when you're a wanted man. A red ball was coming flying toward his head at an exceptionally fast speed, he noticed at the corner of his eye and he could just lean his head to the side, avoid it, and continue on or catch it before it connected but... What was the fun in that? PING! The ball hit him hard in the face, leaving a bright red mark as it fell at his feet, just as he was leaning over to pick it up, four little boys came running down the road. "Is this...yours?" He held up the offending object, a manipulative grin spreading across his lips as the boys eyed him in trepidation. "U-Um, yes, Uncle. Can we please have it back?" A single boy, obviously the leader, stepped forward bravely, his eyes fierce and determined while the others were cowering behind him. Ichiro scratched the uninjured side of his face, his single good eye half closed in contemplation for several minutes before he sighed as he turned on his heel, beginning to walk away. "H-Hey, Uncle, come back here with our ball!" "You have atrocious manners, you demanded your ball basically without even an apology. How shameful." Ichiro felt moderately bad he was resulting to this despicable bullying tactic but eh, to each their own. "I'm sorry, okay! Hand it back!" The little boy was running after him, trying to match his lengthening strides. "Now you apologize. Do you even know what you're apologizing for?" The purple haired man bumped into a hard chest and almost bounced off, falling over, when he looked up it was to see there a tall, shirtless man with multiple scars and a fierce aura and look about him. "Dad, this guy took our ball! Make him give it back." The kid demanded and the stone faced man's eyes suddenly tightened in annoyance before he cracked his knuckles audibly. The sound of low rumbling interrupts the argument, and bystanders around the village look for the source of the noise in terror. "It's her! It's the devourer!" The villagers scramble in panic around the marketplace, merchants pack up their wares, and parents grab their children frantically. In moments, the center of the village is empty, the buildings are shuttered, and an eerie silence falls over the area. Occasionally, the wind causes a window shutter to slam unceremoniously against a window, and the random interval contrasts the steady steps of the approaching being. A thin shadow falls across a nearby alleyway, and from it steps an unusually tall woman with a wild appearance and manner. Her golden, feril eyes scan the environment with a hungry focus, before settling on the red ball in Ichiro's hands. A smile cracks across her features, and, grinning ear to ear, Himiko approaches the water nin. Ichiro is very curious, very much so. One second, he was sure he'd been about to get into a fight with a guy twice his height and packing more muscle than his entire body weight, and the next, the guy is picking up his son like a sack of rice, slinging him over his shoulder and taking off like ōni is after him. He didn't inspire that much fear in a person so that only left the equally tall, if not even taller woman, with the strange grin approaching him with a weird glint in her eye. Apprehension runs through his being momentarily before he clamped down on the emotion and ignored it, waiting for her. The distance is closed in seconds, and Himiko stands before him. She looks at him in curiosity for an instant, before returning to the object of her attentions. With surprising speed and agility, Himiko snatches the delicious-looking red fruit out of his hands and attempts to bite down on it. An audible pop is heard, and the ball whistles loudly as it deflates in her hands. Himiko leaps back, her face expressing surprise, and her hands come up in a mock stance of defense. The remnants of the rubber ball float to the ground between them. As if to break the awkward silence that follows, Himiko's stomach growls painfully. Rubbing his temples, Ichiro stared at the strange woman and says very bluntly. "You're unusual." He didn't think it was polite to call a lady weird, regardless of the fact that she was; he'd never seen someone try to bite a rubber ball before and then jump backwards, as if it was going to hurt her when it deflated. He wondered where she was born, the woods maybe? To be that uneducated is a bit startling for him. Then he heard her stomach rumble. "Ah. You wanted something to eat." Her eyes begin tearing up, and Himiko finally speaks in a regretful voice, "Yes, I do. I'm starving you see. The villagers of this town see me as some kind of demon, and wish to see me perish from hunger... I've done them no wrong. In fact, I even saved one of them from drowning in the sea! Does that seem fair to you?" She lolls weakly on her feet. "I don't know how long I can go on like this. If only someone would help me." Himiko's gaze creeps up to Ichiro hopefully. Ichiro made a skeptic noise in his throat. "Whatever. I could do without the theatrics. I'll pay for you to eat one meal, but that's it." Money was tight enough without being a good Samaritan, her trying to guilt trip him only served to annoy him. "Thank you so much, kind sir! I will be your friend forever!" She smiles and claps her hands in anticipation of the food. Explosions of Flavor A few minutes later, after Ichiro convinces a local shop owner to reopen his shop, the two sit down for their meal. Two steaming bowls of ramen, heaping in hand-made noodles, with a delicious chicken stock and sliced vegetables and shrimp are placed on the table before them. Himiko is utterly mesmerized by the wonderful scent. Her chopsticks tap excitedly together in her hand as she leans in for that first, most delicious bite. Just as she does, an explosion of splinters, shattered wooden boards, and concussive sounds washes over their surroundings. The ramen bowl in her hand is ripped from her grip, and topples through the air (scattering its contents all over poor Himiko) before landing on top of her head. Miraculously, Ichiro's bowl is entirely undamaged by the debris and force of the explosion. Ichiro had just broken apart his chopsticks, muttered, "Itadakimasu!", and took a bite of his meal, savoring it as he chewed and then swallowed, eyeing Himiko with a degree of amusement as he notices her new head decoration. "I bet the damages to this shop will be exponential." He commented nonchalantly as he took stock of the damage. Already he could see the ryo signs in his head, they had to get out of here before the blame was (probably) pinned on them. "Come on." He knocks the bowl off her head and gets most of the ramen out of her hair before tugging at her arm. "Nooo...!", Himiko weeps as they clamber out of the blasted wall of the establishment and outside. Just in time, too, as another cannonball screams through the air and smashes into the building. The ramen shop, along with most of the buildings of the village, are aflame. The villagers are fleeing their homes in panic from the onslaught of the attack. A flotilla of ships are visible from town, descending upon the island. Each flies a black flag depicting skull and crossbones... pirates. The dragon-styled cannons of the ships release another salvo of shots at the defenseless village. Ichiro's eyes were hard as took in all this senseless carnage and chaos. He was a criminal but he had standards, one and the most important of all, being that you didn't take advantage of the weak; it's why he always sought out the bigger and the better, the strongest in every town he came across. Pirates blowing up the little village left a sour taste in his mouth. 'What...' Phantom pale arms wrapped around his shoulders and he felt a modicum of comfort. 'What will you do?' The sword on his back felt warm. 'Decide, but time's of the essence.' Himiko doesn't hesitate for even a moment. She outstretches both arms towards the sky, as though grasping with her fingers at something unseen, and draws her arms back down to her feet in a lilting, spiraling descent. As she does so, a strong torrent of wind cascades around her. In an explosion of wind-swept dust and debris, Himiko launches herself with a mighty somersault leap towards the offending vessels. In response to her brazen approach, the ships readjust their aim at the Black Witch, and a volley of cannonballs fly towards Himiko at supersonic speeds. The majority of the fiery projectiles simply miss her, and she evades all but one of them in the course of her leap... but to her misfortune, one canonball strikes true. With a sickening *crack*, the canonball takes a glancing blow at Himiko's head. Himiko is immediately knocked out, and lacking any finer control of her descent, the woman lands unceremoniously among the rigging of the largest of the pirate ships. Swaying in an unresponsive manner, it's clear that she's out cold. Gungho, reckless and impractical. Idiot... Nonetheless Ichiro knows that he can't leave her behind. He did the Ox → Monkey → Hare → Rat → Boar → Bird → Ox → Horse → Bird → Rat → Tiger → Dog → Tiger → Snake → Ox → Ram → Snake → Boar → Ram → Rat → Yang Water → Monkey → Bird → Dragon → Bird → Ox → Horse → Ram → Tiger → Snake → Rat → Monkey → Hare → Boar → Dragon → Ram → Rat → Ox → Monkey → Bird → Yang Water → Rat → Boar → Bird handseals for the Water Dragon Bullet technique and a giant, powerful dragon made entirely of water appeared, striking at the pirate ships, and even overturned one. Nimbly, the cyclops ninja leapt onto the water, channeling chakra to his feet so that he didn't sink and unlatched Yaiba no Sen Namida off his back, one straightforward thrusting motion of his blade later, the air momentarily seemed to shimmer before an arc of ice erupted and speared another pirate ship, sinking it. Once again, he used chakra to stick to the sides of the ship that Himiko was currently knocked out on and did a front flip, landing at her side, the crystalline blade had several deadly icy blades jut out at odd angles, not allowing for the enemy to get in close easily, and a glowing blue jewel remains floating in the center of the hilt, poised to kill anyone who even approached. A forceful explosion of splinters heralds the arrival of the captain of the vessel, as a one-ton anchor made of rusted iron rips through the main mast behind Ichiro and barrels directly for his back. "Ho-oh. We have vistors, me hearties. Ninjas of Kirigakure, me thinks. Kill the dogs and feed thar corpses to the sea king! The rest of you louts, make for the land. Steal thar supplies, kill anyone that opposes ye, spare the rest." The high-pitched voice of a girl speaks authoritatively to the crew of the ships from a hidden position among the sales and masts. Behind you! Ichiro's expression barely changes seconds before he pushes Himiko's unconscious body out of the way of the incoming projectile even as he's struck heavily in the back by the rusted iron anchor, making him grunt as it impacted, expression tight with pain; just as a pirate came close enough to try and obey orders, 'Ichiro' turned to lightning and electrocuted the man. "Wakey-wakey, baka!" The cyclops ninja snarled at the unconscious Himiko, roundhouse kicking an ugly pirate in the jaw, swinging Yaiba no Sen Namida with practiced ease, an arc of ice surrounded the group trying to corner them before freezing them and he tossed a tossed a few shuriken at the frozen foes; they shattered into little snowflakes.